A Names & Faces item in the Nov. 27 Style section, about a Johns Hopkins University course based on the HBO drama series "The Wire," misquoted the show's creator, David Simon, who visited the class this semester. According to Simon and the Baltimore Sun, he responded to a student's question about hopeful signs for her generation by saying, "There is nothing that makes me optimistic about the future of the country." The Names & Faces item incorrectly included the word "more" before "optimistic."